Our love story began quite different than most would imagine...

 

 

As students at the University of Kentucky where we met, our fairytale unfolded!   As a sophomore I was interviewing for a leadership position on campus through our Student Activities Board, and surprise Elijah was an interviewer. He likes to say that our relationship began there, but I say it wasn't that easy. After being hired as a Director for the Board, he was going to be stepping down from his current role.  As every Thursday went by, we began to talk a more and one week into the spring semester it was time for presentations for new projects to begin and our speeches to sell them.  I have always found it quite attractive when a man can, one, hold his own in a conversation and two, speak in front of a crowd. I decided that week in March 2013 after his presentations that there was more to Elijah Zimmerman than I had allowed myself to believe. On the back end, Elijah had been persistently talking to me as a friend and out of the blue he popped the first BIG QUESTION, he asked me out on a date. This would be the first of three times Elijah asked me to go on a date and it didn't get much easier for him at first!

 

 

 

Now, we know I couldn't make it that easy though.... his first request for an official date I declined. YES, you read correct, there was no date.... yet! As the semester progressed I believe Elijah couldn't get a good read on me because, of course as a young lady, I couldn't make up my mind whether this could be more than just friendship. As my good friend Jena would like to say, that is where he turned to buying her (Jena) a cookies and cream bar for information as to how to crack me, haha! After a cookies and cream bar with Jena, Elijah had formed a perfect plan as how he was going to ask me to go to his fraternity formal. He ask and yes, once again, I declined!  This time because my studio final was due the following Monday. The timing just wasn't panning out for either of us, but Elijah wasn't going to accept defeat. He asked me to Graters Ice Cream in Chevy Chase on our first, what I would call official date, before he left for his fraternity formal that weekend. I remember thinking to myself over my chocolate chip cookie dough, goodness  he really likes to talk about himself, but then I soon came to realize he was really just trying to win me over and impress me. Farther into the conversation I finally had a glimmer of hope that this could be more than just a great college friendship, but I wasn't ready to commit to anything just yet. 

 

 

 

While he was gone to his fraternity formal you could say I got "cold feet" and during a stressful weekend of studio finals I had went from a great first date, to convincing myself I didn't like him, telling him I didn't like him, and somehow miraculously him bringing me black coffee at 5 a.m. after returning from Hilton Head because I was still working on my final project. That was truly when I began to see what I would call "My Elijah." Elijah had always shown himself to be a gentleman towards me, but this was the first time he had  truly gone out of his way to do something for me personally and he impressed me.  After a good nights rest I began to talk to Elijah on a more regular basis. He began asking me to go with him to the library to meet his friends and fraternity brothers to study and never allowing me to walk from the library to the ADPi House alone. Unfortunately though, our relationship was beginning at the end of the semester, but he didn't let that stop him.

 

 

 

After finals he asked me to go on a formal date with him. I had plans to study abroad in Brazil after the semester was over and my time for leaving was quickly approaching.   We made plans to meet in Lexington for our date we went to a new quaint pub in town. For the first time Elijah says, he couldn't get me to stop talking so he just let me talk the night away. Now, normally I have no problem talking, but for some reason around Elijah I never talked as much about myself and maybe that was me just being cautious, but that night everything changed for both of us. As he was driving me back to my car so I could head back to Grayson, he told me that he was going to let me enjoy my time in Brazil and wasn't going to talk to me, THE ENTIRE TIME. At first it was very nice because as he explained he wanted me to enjoy my time there and really wanted me to take it all in. Now, as I am driving back I realized he told me he didn't want to talk to me. YES, it set in that he told me he didn't want to talk to me even though he meant it in a polite way.  It still didn't set well with me as you probably would have guessed.

 

 

 

Upon arriving to Brazil I face-timed Elijah that evening after a long draining flight and yes, and surprise surprise every night for the entirety of the trip I face-timed him and our conversations became longer and longer. It is safe to say that long distance proved well for our relationship because it allowed me to finally come to realization I cared for Elijah and not only that, I missed him. While the trip passed quickly and I arrived home a month later to a  handwritten note explaining how he wished he could be there along with a beautiful arrangement of fresh flowers (a favorite of mine.) After reading the note I went to the back porch to enjoy being home for the first time since being abroad and low and behold there was Elijah! On my back porch swing, one of the most beautiful and peaceful places on earth, Elijah asked me formally to be his girlfriend and with enthusiasm I said YES for the first time. Now, while this YES was exciting it doesn't even compare to the BIG YES. 

 

 

 

A short five months later after a long Homecoming Week full of event planning as a Traditions Director, the culmination of an amazing week began at the University of Kentucky Homecoming Football Game. The tradition of the crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen during halftime of the game, is a tradition that always leads to an amazing end to Homecoming Week, but in 2013 it was extra special as Elijah was on the court and I had planned the SAB Homecoming Events for the week. As I began to organize everyone for the field and to head down during the second quarter I was confused why Elijah's mom was crying and so emotional, but I brushed it off thinking to myself that she was just sad to see it be Elijah's senior year and was proud of him. As we proceeded to the field everything went smoothly and the halftime was upon us. As we lined up I felt a sense of joy I had never felt before in event planning knowing that not only had the week been a success, but that I got to spend the last moments of it with some of those so dear to my heart. During the halftime coronation, though Elijah didn't win the crown, during those moments that we both had won. A successful Homecoming week shared with some pretty special individuals and I had grown even more in love with Elijah for being such a gentleman. As we began to walk off the field I remember my advisers saying,  "Hold on we have something for you!" After a long and stressful week I began to think in that moment that had a small gift to give me saying "Good Job," but little did I know that my life was forever to be changed before we walked off that field. 

 

 

 

As I got to the field exit and there was Elijah in his new jacket he had bought for the occasion and a smile on his face I will never forget. A smile that told a story all in itself, the story of US. As he began to speak I want to point out I thought he was going to give me his fraternity letters, and no it wasn't because we hadn't talked about marriage, but because of the timing. Oh was I so wrong. As he began to speak of how he felt and how he knew it would always be me, I began to burst with emotion of excitement, love, joy and happiness. Then, as he was speaking these words in a flash before my eyes the man I knew one day I would call my husband got down on one knee and asked for my hand in marriage, and I said THE BIG YES! With cameras in our face culminating a week of amazing memories I said YES to the man of my dreams. As we began to walk off the field still trying to soak in what had just happened I was greeted by our friends, family, sorority sisters and fraternity brothers all welcoming us, but more importantly my Momma. She hadn't planned on being at the game at all that day and it became a little sweeter knowing she was a part of the whole plan, thanks to Elijah, and was there to share in the excitement. 

 

 

 

As if the evening couldn't get any sweeter, earlier that day Elijah called and asked my father for my hand in marriage. ESPN featured our engagement story on television and my Dad, who was currently working in Maine, was able to see the footage!  Blessed would be an understatement that my dad got to see it, but that I said YES and as Elijah says, that I didn't humiliate him in front of all the fans at the stadium that night. Culminating the evening Elijah and I alongside our closest family celebrated downtown with a late evening dinner. The happiness was contagious and to this very day still is.... we can not wait to share with you another chapter in our love story on June 14th, 2015!